'TRAPPIST Sounds' is a Song Made by Planets in Our Solar System

'TRAPPIST sounds' is a song made by the planets in our solar system and sounds like an ethereal, experimental orchestra. Beginning with a simple piano note, the song picks up speed after the introduction of the drums, followed by a third and fourth note, which generating a strange avant-garde melody.

To create the sounds, researchers used a numerical system to trace the orbits of the planets in Trappist 1 planetary system. A piano note plays "every time a planet passes in front of the star" and "a drum every time a faster inner planet overtakes its outer neighbor."

Astrophysicist at the University of Toronto Scarborough and guitarist in the indie pop group Rvnners, Matt Russo, created the piece with his researcher partner. Using music to illustrate the complicated orbits of space allows for a more accessible approach to science, which could benefit a broader audience who may have a dwindling interest in science and space exploration.